Ep. 50 - My dog is an athlete
The Family Pet Podcast
In recent years, dog sports have become increasingly popular among pet owners and their furry companions. These activities offer a fun and engaging way for dogs to stay active and stimulated while also providing an opportunity for them to bond with their human companions. Ashton Bemis joins our podcast to talk about many of the exciting options for dog owners to engage in fun bonding activities with their canine companions. Whether your pooch is a speed merchant who enjoys chasing a flying disc or she’s a low-to-the-ground sniffer who is always on the hunt for moles, there is a dog sport for...
info_outline
Ep. 49 - My pet has “the sugars!”
The Family Pet Podcast
Much like their human owners, many pets suffer from diabetes. This disease, in which the body is unable to process glucose for cellular energy, can develop as a result of a failure of the pancreas to produce insulin or when the body is unable to process the insulin (often because of inhibitors in excessive fat.) Dr. Sarah Wooten is a veterinarian, author, speaker, and game creator who has a passion for bridging the information divide between veterinarians and pet parents. She brings a particular passion for canine and feline diabetes to the podcast and walks us through the leading signs...
info_outline
Ep. 48 - How do I choose the right pet insurance plan?
The Family Pet Podcast
Have you shopped for pet insurance lately? There are more than 30 companies today offering plans and navigating their respective websites to obtain policy quotes and compare premium options is an absolute time suck. Thankfully, there are resources available to help make the process MUCH less stressful. Edwin Plotts is the Marketing Director for PawlicyAdvisor, an online comparison tool that helps pet parents find and enroll in the best insurance plan for their specific circumstances. He walks us through some of the issues surrounding pet insurance and how you can become a more informed...
info_outline
Ep. 47 - Protecting your pet’s pearly whites
The Family Pet Podcast
Dental care is an important aspect of pet healthcare, yet it can be easily overlooked. Just like humans, pets can suffer from dental problems that can lead to serious health issues if not addressed in a timely manner. As pet owners, it is our responsibility to make sure that our furry friends receive proper dental care to keep their teeth and gums healthy. We have two experts joining the podcast today to share about veterinary dentistry. Benita Altier, LVT, VTS (Dentistry) is President-Elect of the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians and owner of Pawsitive Dental Education where she...
info_outline
Ep. 46 - Is Stephen crying about his dog?
The Family Pet Podcast
Losing a pet can be hard. The grief from the loss can hit you right in the feels. Finding support and encouragement following the death of a beloved companion is helpful when processing the emotions surrounding that death. Dr. Lynn Hendrix literally wrote a book about palliative care and is an expert on helping pet owners deal with grief surrounding the death of a pet. She joins the podcast today to explain why support for everyone involved with the death of a pet is so important and provides several resources for pet owners and veterinary professionals alike. Here are links to the...
info_outline
Ep. 45 - You found WHAT in my pet’s ears?!?
The Family Pet Podcast
You might never know your pet has ear mites simply by looking for them. The tiny parasites, about the size of a pin head are incredibly difficult to see without a microscope. But you will have no trouble spotting a pet who has an infestation of ear mites. The pet will constantly scratch at their ears and shake their head about in an attempt to alleviate the intense itchiness resulting from the mites crawling along and feeding in their ear canal. Kelly Flesher, LVMT, makes her guest debut on the podcast to talk to us about ear mites. She explains the signs to watch for and explains the...
info_outline
Ep. 44 - Dr. Nick Kirk
The Family Pet Podcast
The overwhelming majority of Family Pets in the United States are dogs and cats, but they are not the only animals that families across the country keep in their homes. Today we will hear from two veterinary professionals who have dedicated their careers to the healthcare of exotic pets. They will explain to us why it is so hard to find a veterinarian to treat pets from hamsters to hedgehogs and meerkats to macaws. Get ready to learn all that and more, on The Family Pet Podcast. Dr.Nick Kirk is a veterinarian and is board certified in avian medicine. He and his veterinary assistant, Devon...
info_outline
Ep. 43 - What is One Health?
The Family Pet Podcast
Have you ever considered how the interconnections between people, animals, plants and their shared environment apply to you and your pet? This concept of “One Health” is an approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment. Issues such as zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and environmental contamination are just some of the factors affecting our health and the health of our pets. Dr. Deborah Thomson is a veterinarian and One Health expert who founded One Health Lessons with the hope of...
info_outline
Ep. 42 - Season 1 Recap
The Family Pet Podcast
As 2022 draws to a close, we take a look back at some of the top episodes of Season 1. These episodes stand out for different reasons. Maybe they were the most informative. Maybe we laughed more. Maybe the topic was a personal passion. But no matter why each episode was selected, listeners will no doubt enjoy looking back at the episodes we selected as the best of Season 1.. Here are links to episodes we discuss today: Scott Kimberly (ESQUIRE) joined the podcast in to talk about pets and the law. We learned in this episode that the law views our pets as little different than a lamp or couch....
info_outline
Ep. 41 - Can any dog qualify as an assistance animal?
The Family Pet Podcast
Do you know the difference between service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support dogs? What do these titles mean and what are these dogs allowed to do? Chris Deefenthaler, executive director of Assistance Dogs International (ADI), joins the podcast to explain her organization’s role in training and placing assistance dogs. She also details how ADI sets standards and establishes guidelines and ethics for the training of these dogs. Here are links to information we talked about today: The website has all the information you could ever want The American Kennel Club has an article Got a...
info_outlineThe phrase “My pet has worms” is a common cause of calls to the veterinary clinic. Whipworms, hookworms, roundworms or tapeworms… no matter which worm, just the idea of something living inside our pets can cause concern among pet parents. The fact that many of these parasites can be transmitted to human family members makes today’s information all the more important.
Ray Kaplan, DVM, PhD, DipEVPC, DiplACVM is our guest today to talk about some of the most common zoonotic parasites. With nearly three decades of experience in the field of parasitology, Dr. Kaplan brings a wealth of knowledge and research to our discussion. His passion and interest related to drug resistant parasites will reinforce to listeners the importance of rechecking fecal samples after treatment.
Here are links to information we talked about today:
- “Zoonotic Parasites” is a great basic primer on the topic from TexVetsPets.org
- “Zoonotic parasitic infections contracted from dogs and cats: How frequent are they?” is a much more research-focused article from DVM360
- “What Every Pet Owner Should Know About Roundworms & Hookworms” from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Got a question for Michael and Stephen? Run across something interesting you want to share with the show? Do you have a topic idea for a future episode? Send it to us at [email protected].